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Urinary Stone

Urinary stones, also known as a kidney stones are formed when certain chemicals build up in the body. These chemicals include, calcium, ammonia and uric acid. These cause a change in the normal balance of minerals that are found in urine and it can make the urine very concentrated. They are also formed when someone doesn’t drink enough fluids. They are very small stones but can cause such severe pain to someone, the pain is thought to be worse than that of childbirth. The most common cause of kidney stones is thought to be though a lack of water in the body because if the body doesn’t have water it is unable to dilute the uric acid. Other causes can be due to urinary tract infections, Crohn’s disease, certain medications and someone who has experienced one kidney stone is more prone to having them again and it could be something that runs in the family. Obesity, high blood pressure and IBS also contribute.

SYMPTOMS OF URINARY STONES

Kidney stones do not really show any symptoms until they have moved to the ureter, which is when it can become excessively painful. Apart from the severe pain someone may get in their groin, people that suffer with them may experience burning when they urinate, the constant urge to urinate, blood in the urine, less urine than normal and a fever.

Treatments

Treatment for urinary stones all depends on the type of stones that form and what the original cause was.

Small Stones

These types of stones don’t require treatment and simply need to be passed with a bit of extra help.

  • Drinking at least two litres of water a day can aid the flushing out of your urinary system. Drinking lots of fluid should produce practically clear urine.
  • To relieve the mild pain and discomfort that comes with passing a small kidney stone you can take pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, etc), acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc) and naproxen sodium (Aleve)
  • Your doctor could give you medication to aid the passing of the stone in the form of an alpha blocker which relaxes the muscles in the ureter which makes it easier to pass and less painful.

Large Stones

Larger stones may require more extensive treatment if they can’t be passed on their own or cause worse symptoms like bleeding, kidney damage and ongoing urinary tract infections.

  • Your doctor might recommend the use of sound waves in order to break up the stones called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). This creates strong vibrations by using sound waves also known as shock waves to break the stone into little pieces that can then be passed easily.
  • You might be recommended to have a surgery called percutaneous nephrolithotomy which removes the stone by using small telescopes and instruments inserted in a small incision in the back.
  • If the stone is slightly smaller the doctor might insert a thin lighted tube called a ureteroscope with a camera into your urethra and bladder to the ureter. Special tools snare the stone or break it up.
  • Your parathyroid glands can be the cause of these stones and so your doctor may recommend parathyroid gland surgery to remove a growth that might have formed there.

Medications

  • If you get calcium stones your doctor may prescribe thiazide diuretic or a phosphate-containing preparation to stop them from forming.
  • If you get uric acid stones your doctor may prescribe allopurinol (Zyloprim, Aloprim) in order to reduce the acid levels in the blood and urine.
  • If you get struvite stones your doctor might prescribe antibiotics in small doses to keep your urine free from bacteria.
  • If you get cystine stones your doctor may prescribe medication that decreases the amount of cystine in your urine and recommend drinking more fluids.

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